Breadcrumbs

IB

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

Over the course of the two-year International Baccalaureate diploma programme (IB DP), students study six subjects chosen from various groups, and participate fully in the diploma core experiences detailed further below.

Three of the six subject courses must be taken at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). All non-language subjects are taught in English. All of these courses are graded on a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is the highest. Available courses in the school’s diploma programme are indicated in the table below:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Amharic A: literature

English B

Economics

Biology

Mathematics

Visual Arts

English A: Literature

French B

Geography

Chemistry

Mathematical Studies

English A: language and literature

Spanish ab initio

History

Physics

French A: language and literature

Swahili B

Information Technology in a Global Society

Computer Science

Swahili A: literature

Swahili ab initio

Social and Cultural Anthropology

BLUE: AVAILABLE AT BOTH HL AND SL, YELLOW: AVAILABLE AT SL ONLY, PURPLE: AVAILABLE AT HL ONLY

Each student must select one course from each of the first 5 groups, and then either a course in group 6 or an additional course from group 3 or group 4. This arrangement allows for breadth of learning and also a certain degree of specialisation.

Diploma Core

The diploma core binds the programme together and comprises the following:

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

The course in Theory of Knowledge offers the chance for students to step back from the acquisition and production of knowledge across the curriculum and beyond, in order to reflect on the shared nature of that knowledge and how it manifests itself in different areas. In this manner, TOK encourages comparative thinking and helps to bind the students’ experience of the curriculum together. Additionally, it provides opportunities to examine personal knowledge and the foundations upon which our individual and cultural perspectives are built.

The Extended Essay is the 4,000-word tangible product of a research project. Each student chooses a subject, topic and research question which is investigated under the supervision of a subject teacher. The EE provides an extremely valuable opportunity to learn about the nature of research through engagement with the process itself. The result is the acquisition of skills that are in high demand at tertiary education level.

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows:

Creativity: exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance

Activity: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle

Service: collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need

Students develop skills, attitudes and dispositions through a variety of individual and group experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and express their passions, personalities and perspectives.